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THE HOME GARDEN 




A GARDEN BORDER OF ANNUALS 

"Can there be hearts and souls from which such a prospect brings no 
response? ... I doubt it." 



THE 
HOME GARDEN 



BY 
E. L. D. SEYMOUR, B. S. A. 

jtuthor oj "Garden Profits" 

Editor, "The Garden and Farm Almanac" for 1913-14-13-16 

Associate Editor, "Country Life in America" 

and " The Garden Magazim" 



ILLUSTRATED — FULL COLOR 



ARRANGED AND PRINTED FOR THE 

AMERICAN SEEDTAPE COMPANY 

BV 

THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS 

GARDEN CITY NEW YORK 



^'^tl 



Copyright, igij 

The American Seedtape Co. 

New York, N. Y. 



^^^ \imi 

IC!,A455559 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER ""AGK 

I. The Home Garden 9 

A Plea for "A Garden for Every Home" — How Home Gar- 
dening Has Grown — ^The Spirit of the Garden 

II. The Elements of a Garden 15 

Privacy — Fitness — Variety — Color — ^Vistas — ^The Lawn — 
Shade — Water and Birds — The Materials of Gardening — 
The Successful Vegetable Garden 

III. The Pleasures and Profits of a Garden . 20 

The Joy of Achievement — The Incident of Success — The 
Garden Born Virtues — Health for the Whole Family — 
Material Benefits — Quality Products — Economy 

IV. The Accessories of a Garden 26 

Essential Tools — The Helpful Wheel Hoe — Implements for 
Irrigating and Spraying — Spray Materials — Manures and 
Fertilizers — Hotbeds and Coldframes 

V. Some Common Garden Fallacies .... 33 

The Erroneous Hilling Theory — Right and Wrong in 
Mulching — Why Not to Sprinkle — Some Pruning Errors — 
Burning the Garden's Bounty — Native Plants and the Line 
of Least Resistance 

VI. Practical Details of Garden Making . . 41 

Planning the Flower Garden — And the Vegetable Plot — 
Principles of Soil Preparation — Seed Growing and Trans- 
planting — Garden Care and Cultivation — Harvesting Hints 

A Garden Plan 48 

All Year Help for Home Garden Makers. . . 48 



THE ILLUSTRATIONS 

A garden border of Annuals (In color) . . . Frontispiece 

PAGE 

Privacy is the dominating feature of the home and 
should be of the home garden, too (In color) . . .11 

The successful use of garden materials 13 

The real garden is an integral part of its environment — 
both its home and its surroundings (In color) ... 14 

"Think of the bountiful goodness of an occupation that 
creates both a ravenous appetite and the wherewithal 
to satisfy it." (In color) 21 

Garden joys are for youth and old age alike .... 22 

On the basis of real estate values alone every garden 
detail adds to the worth of the home (In color) . 29 

Two invaluable garden tools 30 

The lawn is the setting for the home and for its garden 
(In color) 35 

It isn't the amount of space that the garden covers that 
counts, but rather the way that space is used ... 38 

One of the biggest factors in garden care is a constant, 
interested enthusiasm (In color) 44 

A planting plan for a 20 x 40 foot vegetable garden . . 48 




Chapter One 
THE HOME GARDEN 

" Show me a well-ordered garden and I will show you a genial 
home." — George H. Ellwanger. 

HE first home in the history of all creation was 
a garden; and ever since then the two have been 
inseparably associated and interdependent. 
Perhaps the highest development of the com- 
bination was the achievement of the ancient 
Roman, when he so constructed his house that every room 
opened into a central court of which the roof was blue sky, 
and in which flowers and fountains, birds and butterflies sup- 
plied an unceasing pageantry of perfume, melody and beauty. 

To-day we enjoy the same close association of home and 
garden life, but, except in the patio house of the Southwest, 
which is a modern form of the Roman's abode, we have 
achieved the end by a different route. Instead of building our 
houses around gardens, we build gardens about our houses; 
instead of bringing the spirit of the garden into our homes, 
we carry our home life out into the garden. And our lives 
are the richer and the better therefor. 

Yet far too few of us have trod this broad and easy road 
to happiness. America is a land of homes; it should also be 
a land of home gardens. Indeed, it shall be. For national 
democracy and independence mean also individuality. The 
American wants and works for his own home on his own bit 
of land and these factors represent the fundamentals of a 
national love for gardening and its nation-wide practice. 

This is fortunate indeed, for as Dr. Wilhelm Miller says, 
"there are certain fundamental needs which people always 
have felt for flowers, and always must gratify. The heart 

9 



lo THE HOME GARDEN 

cries out for these things, and the cry cannot be stifled." 
Going farther he identifies these needs as follows — and though 
he is speaking to the people of the Illinois prairies, the same 
statements apply, with the change of an occasional local 
allusion, to all parts of the country and all sorts and con- 
ditions of mankind: "(i) Every mother wants to grow the 
famous old flowers that everybody has always known and 
loved. (2) Every woman that ever lived wants cut flowers 
in her house. (3) Every family has some member that loves 
birds, and wishes to bring their song, flight, and color nearer 
to the house. (4) All parents want their children to learn 
independence, and to love the country and wish to stay 
there. (5) Every civilized being needs a chance to get back 
to nature — some playground, picnic spot, or bit of wildness. 
(6) Every dweller on the prairie knows that about half the 
year is leafless, and dumbly feels the need of winter comfort 
and cheer [which a window-box indoors and bright-colored 
shrubs outdoors can supply]. (7) Every farmer has at 
least a rudimentary admiration for old trees and other things 
that grow more precious every year. (8) Every citizen 
of Illinois is proud of his state, takes an interest in his state 
flower, and is glad of every chance to show an honest state 
pride based upon real achievements." 

Some, alas, think of gardening for the multitude as a 
thing of the past. They see in us a rapidly developing race 
of urbanites with no higher nor simpler tastes than can be 
supplied by the city. But facts tell a diff"erent story, the 
story of a trend toward greater interest in individual gar- 
dening than ever before existed. Let the history of American 
garden literature bear witness. Between 1799, when the 
first book of this kind was published, and 1914, just before 
the Great War laid its restraining hand upon all peaceful 
industries and interests, there were published about one thou- 
sand works on garden subjects. But more than half of these 
appeared during the last twenty-five years of that period, 
and fully a quarter of the total number since 1900, the largest 
number for anyone year having been 35 in 1914. Moreover, 
the prevailing type of book has undergone a distinct tran- 




Privacy is the dominating feature of the home and should be of the home 

garden, too 



I 

12 THE HOME GARDEN 

sition from the original calendar or formal record style, 
through the development of the text book and manual, 
to the personal, subjective or "imaginative" work in which 
the author expresses both his own and his garden's person- 
alities — or in many cases hers, for our modern garden authors 
are largely women. 

Thus we have passed beyond the period when gardening 
was either a pure science or a cold, impersonal business; we 
are entering upon a golden age in which gardening is to be 
nothing less than an essential part of our lives, a vital factor 
in our daily existence through which we will gain new pleasure 
and profit and a new outlook upon life. 

For the spirit of gardening is one of joyful accomplish- 
ment, of cooperation and sympathy with Nature; it carries 
with it an everchanging round of experiences, a constant 
insight into the mysteries and wonders of the life that 
surrounds us; the opportunity to work for definite, worthy 
aims and to see their gradual, consistent achievement; 
the ability to give joy to those that are sad, to feed the souls 
of those that hunger for beauty, to accept the stewardship 
of a little corner of God's earth and make it more fruitful and 
more beautiful than it would otherwise have been. 

Can there be hearts and souls from which such a prospect 
brings no response.^ Have we, indeed, so far lost our natural 
instincts and desires that we can get pleasure only from the 
artificial offerings of city life and the unproductive existence 
of ease and idleness? I doubt it. I deny it. And I here- 
with cast down a gauntlet in defense of my belief. Let those 
who doubt my contention read this book through and learn 
in slight measure of what a garden means and what it offers 
and what it asks; let them read and digest and make one fair 
test with an actual garden — no matter how small — for even 
one short season (although the real reward of the gardener 
is an accumulative one); whereupon I will leave it to them to 
decide whether or not my claims are founded upon fact, and 
whether they can, with entire happiness, forego the cares and 
joys of a home garden in the years that are to come. 




A well planned arrangement of annual flowers 




A well located, well laid out, and well cared for kitchen garden 

THE SUCCESSFLL USE OF GARDEN MATERIALS 




The real garden is an integral part of its environment — both its home and 
its surroundings 








Chapter Two 
THE ELEMENTS OF THE GARDEN 

" Thought, taste, and labor are all needed to make a garden 
that is beautiful." 

—Walter P. Wright. 

HAVE said that an essential feature of the garden 
is individuality;that its hope of success rests in its 
ability to express the personality of its maker and 
to satisfy the needs of his or her soul. Conse- 
quently it would be as presumptuous and disas- 
trous to tell garden lovers what their gardens should be, as to 
say what sort of clothes they should wear, or what kind of 
furniture they should have in their homes. 

In each case, however, it is possible and entirely legitimate 
to analyze, arrange and discuss the constituent features, 
methods and materials of any successful garden, any be- 
coming, stylish gown, or any tasteful, comfortable interior. 
The dominating feature of the home is privacy; the same 
must be true of any garden that is to be an integral part of a 
home — as every garden should. In this respect more, per- 
haps, than in any other has the average American garden 
suffered in comparison with that of England or the con- 
tinent. Possibly the necessary seclusion has not appealed 
to the democratic American mind; more probably there has 
been too generally a mistaken idea of "showing off" the 
garden treasures to the passerby, a tendency to display, 
of which the questionable taste was long overlooked. 

Now we are enclosing our gardens within a hedge, a belt 
of thickly planted trees and shrubs, a vine-covered fence, 
or, best of all, stone or brick walls. The latter are so enduring, 
their beauty so enriches with age, they furnish such admirable 

IS 



i6 THE HOME GARDEN 

support for the training of vines, and even dwarf fruit trees, 
that they are by far to be preferred wherever means and 
future plans permit. Whatever the means, however, see to 
it that the garden is private, a veritable outdoor living room, 
where restraint and the thought of the world outside are no 
more experienced than within the dwelling itself. And then 
see to it that the garden is lived in. 

Fitness. There are various kinds of gardens, but only one 
that is right for any particular place. The garden must 
fit in with its environment, both the external phase which 
involves the locality, nature, climatic conditions and natural 
flora of its surroundings, and the internal phase represented 
by the house of which it is a part. The Italian villa style of 
house, for example, if set in a wooded country, may legiti- 
mately be tied to its environment by an "old-fashioned" 
garden that gradually merges into a wild or naturalistic type 
as it reaches the woodland background. But it would be 
impossible to justify the combination of a New England 
cottage or a typical bungalow with a "formal" garden of 
box edgings, marble seats, statues, etc. These are extreme 
cases, but insignificant violations of the laws of appropriate- 
ness often strike louder discords than fundamental mistakes 
of far greater extent. 

Variety. The small garden should represent but one style, 
but this does not mean that it shall be monotonous. There 
can — afixl should — be variety in texture and color, in height 
and mass, in outlook and in point of view; but, again, these 
should be as modulations in tone and shading rather than as 
radical differences in technique. Variety is not gained by 
spotting a lawn with freak specimen trees and shrubs, gaudy, 
geometrical beds and a heterogeneous mixture of garden 
"ornaments," notwithstanding the erstwhile popularity of 
just such abominations. But a single specimen of redbarked 
dogwood in a mass of evergreens, a graceful grouping of 
phlox at intervals along a border, a stately "Spanish bayo- 
net" rising like an exclamation point from behind a clump 
of low herbage — such simple, harmonious devices attract, 
relieve and charm the eye at a single glance. Let there be 



THE HOME GARDEN 17 

one dominant keynote, with the variations occurring as 
overtones and developments of the basic chord. 

Color. Nothing is more essential in the garden than 
color, yet nothing is more often the cause of failure than its 
misuse. There is such a delicacy in flower shadings, the 
gradations are so slight and yet the ultimate variations so 
distinct, that successful management calls for a touch and a 
mind of the utmost accuracy and susceptibility where color 
tones are involved. There is, of course, a confusing number 
of controlling factors. The season of bloom, the nature and 
color of the background, the length of the blooming period, 
all influence the methods by which the all-important harmony 
may be secured. If for no other reason, the prospective 
gardener should make a study of varieties, solely that he 
may avoid color discord in the beds and borders. 

Vistas are the ties that bind the house and garden to the 
world outside. Like first impressions they may make or mar 
future relationships. They may result either from the 
clearing away of certain trees and plants that previously ob- 
structed a desirable view, or from the framing in of a partic- 
ular bit of landscape by the growing and training of trees 
or vines in definite positions. Here again personal taste is a 
determining factor since while one person may prefer a glimpse 
of a cornfield framed by honeysuckle on a trellis, another 
may choose instead the view beneath the gnarled limb of an 
old apple tree, down a quaint village street. And then, of 
course, there is the converse of vista making, that is, the 
blotting out of unsightly objects and views. Many a hastily 
built trellis and temporary morning glory vine have kept an 
ugly building, flamboyant billboard, squalid barnyard or other 
eyesore from obtruding itself as the single unpleasant feature 
of an otherwise charming garden. Don't despise the coarse 
textured quick-growing species; they may sometime do as 
much for you. 

A Lawn, well made and carefully groomed, is to the garden 
what a polished mahogany surface or a fine damask cloth is 
to a beautifully laid dining table. Without it, the flowers, 
shrubbery and trees, be they ever so perfect and thrifty. 



i8 THE HOME GARDEN 

lose much of their beauty and effect. Needless to say, the 
lawn should be smooth, carefully graded, thickly seeded, 
regularly cut and adequately fed and watered. No less 
important, but more often overlooked or not appreciated, 
is the fact that it should be an open, central space bordered 
by flowers, rather than a surface indiscriminately sprinkled 
with beds and bushes. 

Shade. Because most plants demand sunshine, some folk 
think gardens must be exposed in glaring nakedness to the 
sun. Here once more think of the garden as part of the home, 
as a source of comfort for the family, and the absolute need 
of shade is at once apparent. Of course, it can be overdone, 
and the garden made damp and gloomy, the lawn thin and 
patchy and the flowers spindly. In the small garden it may 
be wiser to rely on pergolas, summer houses and vine-covered 
arbors, than to plant trees with a lavish hand. The greater 
danger, however, is lack of restraint in taking out existing 
trees. An old, decrepit apple tree can often be renovated and 
made beautiful, a dense thicket can be judiciously thinned in- 
to an inviting bower; but a tree once cut down is lost. Think 
at least twice before using the axe, and before planting a tree. 

Water can make all the diflTerence between a sleeping garden 
and one joyously awake. Though it be only the soft music of 
a tiny fountain, or the ripple of a diminutive stream along its 
pebbly course, it reaches the ear and charms the eye as no 
other feature can. Birds, too, supply the breath of life in 
the garden, and in addition a touch of Nature and wildness 
that we cannot duplicate with all our arts. Also they 
defend us from many an insect pest, while filling the garden 
air with their friendly song and chatter. 

The garden artist is more fortunate than his brother of the 
brush, for he can work in more than one medium at a time. 
Trees may perhaps be beyond his reach, but shrubs are always 
available and convenient to work with, both dignified ever- 
greens and brightly decked, flowering, deciduous sorts. 
Next come herbaceous perennials, many to be started from 
seeds and carefully tended to thrifty maturity, others to be 
started from plants, or clumps, or bulbs. And finally, there 



THE HOME GARDEN 19 

are annuals — bedding plants as they are often called — 
perhaps the most flexible and adaptable of all. For they can 
be grown quickly and easily; indoors for early results, or 
outdoors for a later season's bloom; transplanted in some 
cases, or started where they are wanted; massed and arranged 
for definite eflfects, or planted in rows as a source of cut 
flowers. Truly the annual is the plant of plants for the 
beginner as well as the expert craftsman; for both the re- 
stricted limits of the backyard and the broad expanses of the 
elaborate garden. 

The elements of a good site for a vegetable garden are: a 
slight southern slope sheltered from north winds by build- 
ings, trees or a hedge; preferably an elongated rectangle so 
that crops can be planted in long rows and easily cared for; 
conveniently situated with reference to the house, and the 
other divisions of the garden and grounds; and large enough to 
supply the requisite crops and the desired amount of exercise 
and labor in their care, but not so large as to be a burden or 
to result in only partial cultivation. Better a plot twenty 
feet square kept in the best of condition than a quarter acre 
weedy, unkempt, half-neglected. 

The really successful vegetable garden is sightly in its 
systematic arrangement and luxurious vigor; every square 
inch is busy contributing to some crop every day of the 
season. It is productive, not necessarily in record-breaking 
yields of one or two crops, but as a continual source of high 
quality products for several months. It is economical. The 
man who raises a bushel of potatoes at a total expense of 
five dollars or more, isn't gardening; he is merely playing at 
gardening. Perhaps he has gotten his money's worth in tan 
or muscle or satisfaction, but his garden isn't an example for 
the multitude. The garden that pays is the garden that 
provides something better than you could otherwise get, 
at a lower cost than you would otherwise have to pay. And 
that is the kind of garden we are considering in this book. 




Chapter Three 
THE PLEASURES AND PROFITS OF A GARDEN 

"Pleasures which nowhere else were to he found 
And all Elysium in a plot of ground." 

— Dryde%. 

'N THE glossary of true garden lovers pleasure 
and profit are, or should be, synonymous. For 
how can pleasures that are helpful, unselfish and 
constructive be other than profitable; or profits 
that are legitimate, well deserved and destined 
to be shared with others, anything but pleasurable? The 
riches or rewards of garden making are all of these, and, 
best of all, they are measurable, to a limited extent, in terms 
of each of our physical, our mental, our moral, and our 
financial needs. 

Mrs. Margaret Deland chooses to summarize the joy of 
the garden in just one word: "Work," and thinks with 
sincere pity of the woman who through innate lack of imagi- 
nation or the restrictions of wealth and "position," has to 
employ a professional gardener. "... A poor creature 
like this, who has paid somebody to take joy out of her hands, 
actually paid him, to dig and perspire, to . . . mourn, 
to rejoice for her — such a person can never have the faintest 
idea of what a garden means. She might as reasonably 
suppose that she had enjoyed a sunset because she had hired 
someone to look at it." 

In other words, garden joy is the joy of achievement, of 
the production of color and perfume and bountiful crops, of 
the solicitous fostering of tiny seeds and tender seedlings, 
the dexterous, artistic training of vine and branch, the 
subduing of weed, the conquering of insect enemy, the crea- 

20 



22 



THE HOME GARDEN 



tion and maintenance and contemplation of beauty and the 
smiling face of Nature at her kindliest. There are many 
who have been content with less! 

And yet success — again quoting Mrs. Deland — "Success 
is only an incident of gardening. Any one who believes it to 
be an end may find, when he reaches the end, that he has 
passed happiness on the way — she is so often out of sight, 
there on her knees among the flowers! But of course, some- 
times, incidentally, the happy gardener is successful; things 
do grow; and when they do, that is just so much to the 
good. 

"Mrs. Julia Ward Howe once said that when it came to 
art, 'inspiration was perspiration'; and surely one can sa\ 
the same of gardening: happiness is — perspiration." Which, 
interpreted, is to say that only he who makes a garden and 
works in it, really understands and wins its real reward. 
To take the place of the elusive success, Mrs. Deland thinks 
of the four virtues which in her opinion every garden creates 
or augments in its gardener. These are, first, Hope, that 
buries the ashes of past failure beneath the fragrant petals of 
future plans and expectations; second. Trust in our fellow 
man, that gives us commendable confidence in the catalogue 
descriptions and pos- sibilities of plants even 

when our own attempts fail to more 




( jiirden ioys are for youth and old age alike 



THE HOME GARDEN 23 

than suggest the expected ideal; third, Humility, that arises 
from the contemplation of finer gardens, and the constant dis- 
covery of things that we "did not know," or "forgot to do." 
(Indeed gardening awakens a most wholesome respect both 
for Nature and her wisdom, and for our superior brethren, in 
the persons of more successful gardeners.) And, fourth. 
Patience, which in March keeps us from attacking the sodden 
soil too soon, in April prevents us, sometimes, from digging up 
the newly planted seeds to see if they have sprouted, in 
August holds our appetite for sweet corn respectably in check, 
and, all through the winter, soothes our uneasy soul as it 
chafes against the bonds of snow and frozen ground. 

But after all, apart from these more or less sentimental 
benefits, there are the material rewards that do accrue, how- 
ever limited the garden's extent. 

There is health, for instance — a strength of back and arm, 
a toughness of hand and sinew, a clarity of eye and brain, a 
sharpness of appetite, a thorough fitness for work and for 
play — that follows the consistent use of the hoe, rake, spade, 
and cultivator. The back will stiffen at first after planting 
the hotbed or weeding a row of onions, there will be blisters 
on the inexperienced palms, and sunburn on the collarless 
neck, but these soon pass, giving way to a new lease of virility 
and power, as though some unseen hand had gripped the 
clutch of the physical existence and thrown it into high speed. 
And just think, you who are about to plant vegetables, of 
the bountiful goodness of an occupation that creates both 
a ravenous appetite and the wherewithal to satisfy it! 

This boon of health is not alone for you, chief steward of 
the garden. Your lady wife (or your good man if you are 
lady wife) and the kiddies too, have in the garden a place to 
work, play and be happy withal. Schools all over the 
country are being equipped to teach nature study; but there 
is a complete laboratory equipped with material for a 
full curriculum at your door. Where is a better place for 
the youngsters to delve understandingly, reverently, health- 
fully into the mysteries, beauties and x/onder of life and 
creation ? 



24 THE HOME GARDEN 

Out in Lincoln, Nebraska, the school children have their 
gardens like those in many another city; but they have gone 
farther: They have also established conjointly a market in a 
vacant lot at the corner of two residential streets, whence 
for three hours each Saturday morning they sell the prod- 
ucts of their gardens to housewives of the neighborhood. 
Thus they are learning the practical applications of marketing 
principles as well as those of gardening and the value of money 
and of productive labor in terms of well-earned profits. 

There is pleasure if not profit also in the knowledge that a 
garden is an attractive sight for the passerby and that the 
surplus blossoms and fruits for which you have no use can 
bring joy and delight to others less fortunate than yourself. 

Of worldly, material profits, we may recognize first, the 
increased real estate value that follows the beautification of 
our grounds. Few people live in constant expectation of 
selling or renting their homes; but should this become neces- 
sary, a garden, a well-cared for expanse of greensward, a 
setting of shrubbery and a drapery of vines, each adds its 
quota to the total augmented value of the property. 

Flowers for indoor decoration for the picking, represent 
an expenditure which in some homes reaches surprising pro- 
portions. Ten cents' worth of seed and their share of the 
general garden management may yield blossoms that would 
cost a dollar or more at the florist's; this is only one expression 
of the proportionate returns in gardening. 

Fresh, home-raised vegetables and fruits are a boon in 
more ways than one. They render a family independent of 
the peddler and the grocery; they represent higher quality and 
flavor, greater delicacy and tenderness, and the important 
feature of greater cleanliness and purity. During this sum- 
mer of 191 6, for instance, when uncooked fruits and vege- 
tables shared the general suspicion directed at all possible 
carriers of the poliomyelitis organism, think of the peace 
of mind that could arise from the knowledge that every 
vegetable and fruit used in the household had been grown 
in the home garden untouched by the hands of any outside 
the family! 



THE HOME GARDEN 25 

The cost and economy of the garden I have already 
touched upon. Of course many a plot is simply a playground, 
recognized and maintained as such with no restrictions 
imposed as to its cost. But this is neither the commonest 
condition nor a necessary one. Where labor does not have to 
be hired, a small, well-managed garden can more than pay 
for itself during the four summer months. If the family is 
large and there are enough other duties about the place to 
justify the employment of a man to look after the routine and 
heaviest work, a garden of an acre or so cannot only supply 
the table all summer, but also provide sufficient vegetables 
and fruit for storing and preserving wherewith to reduce 
the winter expenses for these commodities to an infinitesimal 
minimum. Canned goods have become almost an institution 
in American domestic affairs. The housewife has double 
cause for pride who can display shelves full of beans, corn, 
beets, tomatoes, etc., home raised, and stored in their glass 
containers by none other than herself. 

The garden, then, pays its way, and "then some." It 
adds to the sum total of human satisfaction and happiness; 
and that is a big, worth-while accomplishment. Perhaps it 
has always been so even though we have only recently begun 
to realize it. At any rate. Sir Francis Bacon some odd hun- 
dreds of years ago wrote: "God Almighty first planted a 
garden: and indeed it is the purest of human pleasures." 
And in this year of grace a man expressed the same far- 
sighted thought when, after meeting a company of gardeners 
and their wives and children off on a picnic, he observed that 
"Gardeners look happy because they have happy work." 



Chapter Four 
THE ACCESSORIES OF A GARDEN 

"All garden tools have speech if the ear is keyed to hear it. 
— The Garden of a Commuter* s Wife. 



.vi"_«ij)w^M"^HE right way to garden is with an adequate, 
-*jjii-n well-chosen equipment of modern, efficient 
tools and labor-saving devices. There may be 
much merit in making the best of an incomplete 
outfit; in taking up the work in a professional 
way it may temporarily be necessary to do this. But when 
one makes a garden from choice, for the sake of the pleasures 
and profits that we have just reviewed, it is fundamentally 
desirable that the labor involved be simplified and lightened 
as much as is consistent with maximum results. 

If I were limited to only four hand tools in the garden, 
I would ask for an iron rake, a hoe, a spading fork and a spade. 
They would be of the best quality, well made and balanced 
to fit my height, strength and mode of working; the width 
of the rake would represent the minimum distance between 
the rows in my garden; the hoe would be of the regular old- 
fashioned kind, not too big, and well sharpened; the fork and 
spade would be stout, but only heavy enough to be con- 
veniently handled. 

As the restrictions were lifted I would add a trowel (though 
the bare hand makes a very satisfactory tool when the ground 
is not too hard); two more hoes, one of the flat, blade-like 
scuffle type, the other heart shaped, most useful for making 
and covering drills; and one of those five-fingered cultivators 
on a long handle. For the care of the lawn and paths a 
wooden rake is essential and a measuring stick and garden 
line would be added to the equipment as soon as possible. 

26 



THE HOME GARDEN 27 

Even the smallest place finds a wheelbarrow of frequent use, 
and if you care for my advice choose the standard box type 
with removable sides rather than the cheaper, round-bottomed 
kind. Likewise, every patch of lawn calls for a mower, a 
sickle or grass hook, and a pair of sheep shears for keeping 
the edges neat. If there is much edging to look after, a sharp, 
crescent-bladed edger is worth having, or better still, one that 
runs on wheels and is pushed like a lawn mower along the 
edges of beds, paths, drives, etc. 

In every vegetable garden where rows 25 feet long or 
more are possible, the wheel hoe is a veritable boon. With 
its adjustable and removable plowshare, teeth, claws and 
shovel blades, it oflFers an implement for every sort of culti- 
vating as well as the making of drills and trenches from one 
to six inches deep, and all by a simple pushing effort. There 
are both one and two wheel types, each with its own 
advantages and limitations. I've always found the former 
satisfactory, but then, I've never tried the latter. Probably 
the acme of convenience is the model with two wheels, one 
of which can be removed and the other centred at will. 

It is impossible to mention all the inventions that the 
gardener of to-day can take advantage of; some are admirable 
and very worth having, others are fussy, erratic and adapted 
solely to the abilities of the gardening genius or the gardening 
"bug." The best plan is to keep track of the novelties with 
the help of some authoritative garden journal and try out 
only those that are reported as really practical. 

Under natural conditions plants grow, mature, sow their 
seed and complete their existence whether the season is dry 
or wet, early or late. They adapt themselves to their sur- 
roundings, and fight their own battles. The garden repre- 
sents to a certain extent an artificial environment, in that 
we give the seeds and seedlings special protection, water the 
newly set transplants, cultivate to destroy weeds, etc. Our 
crops, therefore, while improved in quality are weakened 
so far as resisting untoward conditions is concerned, and it 
is only fair that, having gotten them used to this fostering 
care, we should continue to provide it throughout the season. 



28 , THE HOME GARDEN 

This justifies the use of irrigation systems, which certain 
old timers may condemn on the grounds that "we didn't 
use 'em in my day; th' weather God give us was good enough 
for our gardens." 

One sort of spray is especially necessary, now that insect 
pests and plant diseases have become so thoroughly dis- 
seminated over the country; that is, the spray designed to 
combat these enemies. There are both wet and dry prep- 
arations for this purpose; the latter may be dusted on with 
a pepper box or blown on with a special machine; the former, 
in solution form, may be sprinkled on with a stiff whisk 
broom, or distributed through any of the many forms of 
hand, knapsack, barrel, and wagon spray outfits. One other 
quite recent device supplies the spray mixtures in the form 
of soluble cartridges which, placed in a metal container 
affixed to the hose, are gradually dissolved and distributed 
by the stream of water. 

There is no space available here for a discussion of spray 
outfits, but it is worth while to note the commoner materials 
that are used in them, and their purposes. Formerly only 
the simplest preparations could be bought ready for use; 
the gardener himself had to mix and cook up the various 
combinations. To-day, though it is often cheaper on a large 
scale to mix your own materials, it is possible to buy nearly 
any preparation in a small amount ready for use after water is 
added as directed on the package. 

For fighting "plant diseases we have (i) flowers of sulphur, 
for mildew, etc., (2) sulphur compounds such as the lime- 
sulphur mixture, (3) bordeaux mixture, which is a mixture 
of copper and lime, (4) ammoniacal copper carbonate, with 
much the same virtues as (3) but, being colorless, preferable 
for use on ripening fruits, flowers, etc., and (5) formalin, 
used to treat certain seeds before planting to destroy disease 
organisms that are carried by them. 

For destroying or repelling insect pests we have two kinds 
of materials, according to the nature of the insect and the 
steps needed to kill it. All leaf and bud chewing sorts, such 
as caterpillars, some beetles, etc., are killed by spreading 




Un the bahis of ixal estate value alune, every garden detail adds to the worth 

of the home 



THE HOME GARDEN 31 

poison on the foliage in the form of either (i) paris green or 
(2) lead arsenate. Sap-sucking insects, such as plant lice, 
weevils, scale insects, etc., are killed by covering them with 
some oily solution that suffocates them, or with a mildly 
caustic mixture. Of the first class we have: (i) kerosene 
emulsion, (2) various miscible oils, and (3) nicotine prepara- 
tions; in the second class, the lime-sulphur mixture already 
listed as a disease specific. There are a few exceptions to 
these insect groups against which special defensive efforts 
must be made. Additional information about them can be 
obtained from a number of valuable text books, and through 
the Service Bureau described on page 48. 

Without attempting to discuss the complex science of 
feeding plants and maintaining soil fertility, it may be well 
to list the forms of plant food for which the gardener may 
have use. First, and of greatest general use, is stable manure 
which should have been well rotted but in such a way that 
rains have not leached it nor the sun burned it. Fresh manure 
may be mixed with sods, garden refuse, leaves, etc., and left 
for a year or so to make compost; or it may be steeped to 
provide liquid manure, a splendid plant tonic. Several forms 
of humus are on the market, good for dressing lawns, treating 
light sandy soils, potting plants, etc., but which, since they 
are only dried, pulverized peat or muck, are rather expensive. 

In its larger sense humus means, of course, any sort of 
decaying organic matter (particularly plant tissue) in the 
soil which gives it the dark color and spongy, absorptive 
texture characteristic of all fertile land. An example of 
almost pure humus is the black, fibrous leaf mold that col- 
lects under the surface leaves in hardwood forests; another 
form is found in peat bogs and is prepared for sale under 
various trade names as mentioned above. But a crop of any 
sort dug into the soil, or even the stubble plowed under after 
a harvest, adds more or less of this valuable material and 
improves the soil proportionately. 

Commercial fertilizers are of both mineral and animal origin 
and are frequently by-products. They are grouped accord- 
ing to the plant food element in which they are richest, though 



32 THE HOME GARDEN 

several contain two or more in varying amounts. Thus of 
the nitrogen carriers, which stimulate the growth of foliage, 
we have nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, tankage, blood 
meal, cottonseed meal, etc. Of the phosphorus carriers which 
increase chiefly the seed growth, there are the raw, ground 
phosphate rock, acid- or super-phosphate, ground bone prep- 
arations and basic slag. As potash carriers we have muriate 
and sulphate of potash, kainit, and wood ashes, if unleached. 
Most of these mineral forms are at present prohibitively high 
priced "because of the war." The best plan is therefore to 
use whatever sort of general fertilizer can be most easily 
obtained, and for the rest to rely on winter cover crops of 
clover, rye, or vetch, sown all over the garden in the fall, 
and plowed or dug under the next spring. Every other year 
or so, the newly plowed ground should be well covered with a 
sprinkling of finely ground limestone or air-slaked lime, which 
is then raked well in. This sweetens the soil and helps prac- 
tically all crops. 

One other way to hasten and stimulate crops is by pro- 
tecting them, early and late in the season, either indoors or 
in glass-covered boxes. Houses for the purpose are, as you 
know, greenhouses, hothouses or conservatories. If the 
outdoor boxes are supplied with heat (either steam pipes, hot 
air flues or a layer of fermenting manure) underneath a few 
inches of soil, they are called hotbeds. In them seeds of ten- 
der plants, such as tomato, pepper, aster, etc., may be started 
as early as February or March. If the glass or cloth covered 
boxes simply surround well-prepared soil, they are coldframes 
and are used for "hardening ofi^" seedlings started in a 
hotbed, for protecting crops started outdoors in early fall 
and for getting the best results during the summer with crops 
which might droop or even die in the hot sun. Since the 
only real difi^erence between hotbed and coldframe is the 
supply of bottom heat, it follows that as the layer of manure 
cools off or becomes "spent" the hotbed becomes a cold- 
frame and can be used as such. Finally, there are indi- 
vidual protectors of glass, or glass and wood, used to stimu- 
ate hills of melons, or other tender crops which cannot be 
transplanted or conveniently grown in a frame. 




Chapter Five 
SOME COMMON GARDEN FALLACIES 

"A beautiful garden is capable of playing so im- 
portant a part in the life of a human being that it is 
worthy of the best that is in him." — Walter P. Wright. 

T IS surprising how many gardens succeed in 
spite of, rather than because of, the methods that 
are pursued in their making and care. Synony- 
mously it is remarkable how easily people can 
pick up erroneous theories and practices, gradu- 
ally come to accept them, pass them along and eventually 
depend on them as sound, orthodox and unquestionable. 
It merely shows the extent and effect of mental inertia and 
lack of knowledge, and the dangerous possibilities of relying 
on "garden gossip" for one's information. Some of these 
mistaken ideas are so well and widely established that it 
seems worth while to call attention to them and throw on them 
the light of truth and understanding. In doing this I may 
tread on the toes of some one's pet notions and convictions, 
but my defense is that it is in the glorious cause of better 
gardens. So here goes! 

How often we see gardens in which the soil is carefully 
drawn up into high mounds and ridges around the individual 
larger plants and the rows of smaller ones. If well done this 
presents a uniform not unpleasing appearance, suggestive 
of an orderly mind and much labor; for such gardens are 
almost invariably weedless. But the labor is misapplied; 
the consistent hilling of all crops is wrong except under one 
set of circumstances. When the soil is heavy — that is, 
clayey and stiff — and poorly drained, the tendency of plants 
to rot in a wet season can be lessened by planting the seeds 

33 



34 THE HOME GARDEN 

close to the surface and working the soil up around the 
plants as they grow, thus giving an area of elevated, better 
drained soil for the root systems to develop in. But if the 
season turns out a dry one, or if the soil is loose, sandy and 
well drained, obviously this method keeps the roots up near 
the surface, away from the permanent moisture supply or 
"water table," and is very likely to stunt if not indeed kill 
the plants. The moral is, therefore, that for the beginner 
moderately deep planting and level cultivation are the best 
roads to success. The mounding of soil around trees and 
shrubs is always ridiculous and wrong. 

There are two reasons for mulching — which, in garden 
terminology, means covering ground or plants, or both, with 
a layer of any sort of loose, protective material. The first 
is so that the intimate connection between the firm soil and 
the air may be broken and the evaporation of soil moisture 
stopped. In accordance with a principle of physics water 
moves slowly through compact soil in all directions. Moving 
thus upward, it reaches the surface where the movement of 
the air hastens its evaporation and increases the upward 
movement, thus reducing the plant's store below. If, how- 
ever, we break up the surface crust and keep the top inch of 
soil loose and dusty, the moisture will not rise through it but 
will be saved for the plant's use. The same result comes from 
spreading a layer of lawn clippings or other light fine litter on 
the soil; this, of course, also obviates the need of cultivating 
though this is not always realized. This then is the theory of 
summer mulching in general, and shallow cultivation in 
particular, both of which are invaluable practices in the 
retention of soil moisture and the resulting stimulation 'of 
plant growth. 

The second object of mulching is to protect half-hardy 
plants from changes of temperature in winter. This does 
not mean keeping them from freezing, but rather from the 
alternate thawing and freezing that occurs throughout the 
temperate zone, especially at low levels and near large bodies 
of water. Nearly every one knows that frozen celery, if very 
gradually thawed out in cold water, is entirely fit for im- 



36 



THE HOME GARDEN 



mediate use, but that if thawed in the sun, then allowed to 
freeze, then thawed again, it not only becomes unpalatable 
but soon rots. It is the same with growing plants and newly 
planted shrubs, trees, etc. As fall comes on the ground 
should be permitted to freeze good and hard, which any real 
perennial will stand. Then, and only then, should the dead 
leaves, corn stalks, strawy manure or other mulch be applied 
10 keep the frost in until the coming of permanent warm wea- 
ther the next spring. This sort of mulching is often overdone; 
in many cases the mulch is allowed to pack down, become 
soaked and freeze solid, when it and the soil beneath tend to 
thaw and freeze with the changes of temperature just as the 
bare soil would. The mulch should therefore be onlv heavv 
enough to protect without smothering, and it should be loose. 
The snow is Nature's winter comforter; let the gardener 
imitate it as closely as he can. 

Why not to sprinkle! "The idea of not sprinkling," I hear 
some one say. "Why water is the most 
1^ ,,^&i necessary thing in the garden." True 

enough, but sprinkling doesn't always 
mean plenty of water. It takes a good 
deal to wet a soil say six inches deep, yet 
that is where most of our plant roots 
are, or ought to be. Suppose, then^ 
that we sprinkle the 
lawn for an hour or 
so every evening; it 
looks nice and green, 
the grass grows well. 
What's wrong with 
that? Simply this: an 
hour's daily sprinkl- 
ing wets perhaps half 
an inch of soil; the 
grass roots look- 
ing for moisture 
grow up to this 
upper half-inch 




THE HOME GARDEN 



37 




and form a mat very close to the surface; 
then, when you neglect to sprinkle on any one day, or when 
the sun comes out full strength of a July morning, it will 
bake that top soil, cook your grass roots as if they were in an 
oven — and where's your lawn? Far better, then, to take the 
sprinkler ofF, let the hose run in a full stream for an hour or so 
then soak the ground further along, and repeat this only once 
a week or so. A plant with its roots deep m the ground will 
make better growth under favorable circumstances than one 
whose "anchorage" and feeding system are restricted to the 
surface layer of soil which responds most quickly to the 
atmospheric changes. 

The sins of pruning, like many others, result from a 
failure to find and follow a happy medium. Most people 
apply the same rule to everything, which means that they 
prune some plants too much and others not enough. The 
purposes of pruning are four, namely, (i) to give a definite 
shape and stature to a tree or shrub, as in the case of young 
fruit trees, hedges, etc. This is the guiding method. (2) 
To correct a poor shape judged either by utilitarian or aesthe- 
tic standards, as in the case of old trees, neglected shrubs, 
etc. This is the correciive method. (3) To enable a plant 




It isn't the amount ot space that the garden covers that counts, but rather 
the way that space is used 



THE HOME GARDEN 39 

to do its best in a natural, unrestrained way. This cutting 
out of dead wood, trimming back of ungainly shoots and very 
light thinning is the natural method and the only one that can 
be applied promiscuously without doing harm. (4) To 
stimulate a dense growth of foliage, or the production of 
fruit or flowers, as in the case of hedges, rose bushes, some 
fruits, vines such as wistaria, etc. This might be called 
the radical method and while it is highly valuable and effective, 
it calls for knowledge, judgment and skill. The commonest 
mistakes in the average garden consist of trimming hedges 
such as privet, etc., too lightly and not early enough to make 
them thick; shearing individual shrubs into stiff, symmetrical, 
unnatural shapes; failure to cut roses with long stems and to 
severely cut back the "H. P's" (hybrid perpetuals) im- 
mediately after they bloom; failure to take out from black- 
berries, raspberries, etc., the canes that have once borne and 
are therefore useless; neglect of young fruit and ornamen- 
tal trees until they have definitely assumed undesirable 
forms; and, in general, the failure to study each plant and 
apply to it the particular treatment for which it calls. I 
cannot discuss the details of these treatments here, but per- 
haps I have at least suggested the importance of an adequate 
study of the whole field. 

Whenever I see any one who has a garden raking up leaves, 
dead vines, and other plant refuse and burning it, I know 
that it is either the result of gross ignorance, or a sign of the 
gardener's willingness to throw away money for the sake of 
saving half an hour's labor. For every bit of plant tissue 
contains plant food, and, if saved, mixed, and piled up with a 
little manure and loam for six months or so, it will provide, at 
absolutely no cost, the best dressing that can be obtained 
anywhere. Besides, next to snow, fallen leaves are the best 
winter mulch in the world and no gardener is either so rich 
or so clever that he can afford to throw them away. Again, 
don't they make splendid litter for the chicken house and 
bedding for the stable, where they absorb still more plant 
food and become even more valuable.? Of course. 

Indeed there is only one thing worse than burning leaves, 



40 THE HOME GARDEN 

and that is burning over lawns and fields "to make the grass 
grow." That is not only the sign of laziness, a desire to get 
away from mowing and raking, but also one of the best 
ways to destroy whatever stand of grass exists. For while 
the addition of an infinitesimal bit of ash cannot do harm and 
may do good, nevertheless, the soil needs the decaying grass, 
leaves and other bits of litter far more than the ash; and the 
grass roots are almost certain to be killed by the sweep of 
flame across the surface. 

Laziness plays no part in a good gardener's make-up, 
but economy of time and effort, and the ability to follow the 
line of least resistance is another thing. In a sense it is the 
measure of his success. By this I mean that the real gardener 
adapts himself to his environment, takes his cue from Nature 
and grows the plants that are suited to his locality, and so 
develops his garden that he can get maximum results with 
minimum labor and expense. All too often we see people 
vainly struggling with foreign species, untried, undeveloped 
varieties, complicated, exotic plants, involved, elaborate 
methods, in the hope of obtaining something "unique, 
striking, out of the ordinary." Garden beauty and garden 
satisfaction lie not in that direction. They grow rather with 
the development of simple plans, along modest, direct lines; 
in the use of hardy, native, well-chosen materials; in the care- 
ful combination of orthodox, time-proven methods with the 
inspiration of personality. Nature is kindly, generous, just; 
She reponds to sympathetic encouragement and judicious 
stimulation; She is easily led. But, She resents being opposed, 
coerced, underestimated, or disregarded. And in the end She 
is always victorious. The wise gardener, who is also the 
successful one, works hand in hand with Her and his reward is 
bountiful. 




Chapter Six 
PRACTICAL DETAILS OF GARDEN MAKING 

" Whatever is zvorth growing at all, is worth growing well." 

— George H. Ellwanger. 

jAVING now sketched some of the reasons for 
having a garden and some of the returns that 
may be expected from it , there remains but to 
outline the methods by which one can be made. 
Since a full knowledge of this subject cannot 
be obtained from a single season's experience or any one 
volume, this chapter must of necessity be a skeleton of direc- 
tions and suggestions. But then, a skeleton is a very funda- 
mental and essential part of any structure. 

A garden, like a house or a war or a political campaign, 
should be built around a preconceived, carefully worked out 
plan, the preparation of which offers a most delightful winter 
form of garden activity. In making it 

1. Draw a map of the grounds to be planted, on a good, 
large scale, blocking in permanent objects such as buildings, 
drives, rocks, pergolas, etc. Note compass directions so as 
to locate the shadiest spots. 

2. In distributing permanent features try to work in the 
principles discussed in Chapter II. If there is room, plan 
for a vegetable garden in two parts, each to be cultivated in 
alternate years and at other times to be seeded down to a 
cover crop or used as a chicken yard. 

3. A few large fruit trees can be planted around the 
house for shade, but for convenience in spraying, harvesting, 
etc., it is better to grow only dwarfs, in straight rows. 

4. Vines and shrubs soften the outline of a dwelling, 
but if too thickly planted tend to keep out much-desired 

41 



42 THE HOME GARDEN 

sunlight and air. In planting permanent material keep in 
mind its size and appearance five or ten years hence. 

5. Pleasing effects with flowers require just the right 
combination of colors, heights and seasons. White and 
yellow go well with almost any shades; reds, lavenders and 
blues unless very carefully blended are better apart. 

6. Keep tall plants in the background and for late season 
effects. Don't rely on your perennial border and mass plant- 
ings for cut flowers. Save an out of the way corner and grow 
flowers in rows, like vegetables, for cutting. 

7. Don't try for more than one style of garden in the 
small place where the simpler the effect, the greater the 
charm and the easier the task of keeping it up. 

8. Buy only first-class, reputable materials even if it 
means less of them. Rely mainly on standard, time-tried 
varieties. As you acquire skill and a knowledge of your 
garden's possibilities experiment cautiously with novelties. 

Success in the Vegetable Garden, i. For the best light 
run the rows north and south; for the easiest cultivation run 
them the long way of the garden; to prevent soil washing, 
run them across, not up and down a slope. If these rules 
conflict, compromise as best you can. 

2. Keep the taller sorts at the north end, so that they 
will shade the others as little as possible. Keep together 
the crops that grow all season, i. e., parsnips, salsify, toma- 
toes, cabbage, parsley, etc. Keep together as far as possible 
the crops that call for similar distances between the rows, 
making the garden look better and its cultivation easier. 

3. Estimate the date when each crop will mature and if 
a month or more of growing weather remains, plan to sow 
another crop in its place at once. 

4. If you cannot allow for two gardens, plan not to 
grow the same or related crops in the same place two suc- 
cessive seasons. This lessens the danger of establishing 
plant diseases in the soil. 

5. Varieties differ considerably in rate of growth, and 
soil and seasonal preferences. Certain lettuces will not 
"head up'* in midsummer; certain radishes do best in early 



THE HOME GARDEN 



4: 




spring; some carrots demand a deep soil; 
others will succeed in a shallower loam. 
Study varietal descriptions and meet the 
conditions of your garden and your tastes. 
The ideal soil is a typical sandy loam, 
well drained, easily worked, well supplied 
with organic matter or humus, and of 
a rich, warm brown color. Too often 
the suburban grounds are 
mainly sand dug out of the 
house foundation, plasterer's 
refuse, and ashes or cmders 
hauled in to fill up. In the 
worst of such cases, the only feasible plan is to obtain enough 
good soil to cover the rubbish a foot or more. But in many 
instances, careful management, generous systematic fertiliz- 
ing and the judicious fitting of certain crops to certain condi- 
tions will give surprisingly satisfactory results. 

1. The best fertilizer is stable manure; if it is well rotted 
you cannot use too much; a good average application is a 
layer four inches deep. 

2. For best results spread this in the fall, and plow or 
dig it under at once. Then sprinkle on raw ground limestone 
or agricultural (air-slaked) lime, say lOO pounds to 250 
square feet, and rake it in lightly. Where the ground slopes 
and might be washed by winter rains, grow 

a cover crop over winter; then spread the 
manure and plow in thespring, dress with lime 
and harrow or rake ready for seeding. 

3. Commercial fertilizers may be 
raked in previous to planting (like lime) 
or sprinkled in the drill or hill at 
planting time, except nitrate 
of soda which is a "tonic" 
and should be used only 
around growing crops. 

4. Very sandy soils need 
lots of manure, commercial 




THE HOME GARDEN 45 

humus, or any sort of rotted vegetable matter well worked 
in. Lime sometimes helps them. Hard, stiff, black clays 
may be lightened with sand or sifted coal ashes, but humus 
helps them just as it does sand. They usually need lime, 
too. Wood ashes are good for any soil. 

5. The finer and smoother a soil is raked before seeding 
the better. But don't rake more than you can plant the 
same day, or, if it rains, you may have to spade it over again. 

6. In spading stiff heavy soils use a fork, and leave the 
surface rough for the weather to work on. Dig light loams 
and sands with a spade. Don't dig or cultivate any soil 
except very sandy sorts when it is wet. It will puddle, cake, 
bake and become almost useless for weeks if you do. 

Seed Sowing and Transplanting. I. Follow the directions 
on the packages in general, but in cool weather, and in light 
sandy soils, cover seeds a little deeper than in warm weather 
and heavy land. 

2. Always firm the soil on top of newly sown seed, and 
around newly set plants. This brings the moisture close to 
them and hastens their sprouting and growth. 

3. Before transplanting soak the soil where the seedlings 
are and where they are going (unless the latter is of a clay 
type). Lift each plant with as much soil as possible and do 
not expose it to the sun or wind any longer than absolutely 
necessary; set it a trifle deeper than it stood before; firm the 
soil around it; clip off the outer leaves to check evaporation. 

4. Never let a transplanted plant want for water, at 
least until it is thoroughly established. Lettuce is assisted 
by covering each newly set plant with an old berry box or 
any other protection from the sun for a day or two. 

5. In transplanting tomatoes, peppers and cabbages, 
wrap around each stem a collar of paper to extend at least 
an inch above and below the soil, to ward off cutworms. 

6. To ensure a succession of such plants as peas, beans, 
lettuce, radishes, beets, kohlrabi, etc., sow a fresh row just 
as the previous planting shows above the surface. 

7. Plant small, quick growers like lettuce, radishes, etc., 
between the rows of larger, slower maturing sorts. In the 



46 THE HOME GARDEN 

case of early sorts such as spinach, start tomatoes, corn, etc., 
between the rows to occupy the ground after the former is 
harvested. 

Care and Cultivation i. The best plants grow quickly; 
don't let anything check them. 

2. Success against weeds means keeping them out, not 
taking them out after they get in. 

3. Cultivate after every rain as soon as the ground is dry 
enough to work. This is (i) to break the surface crust and con- 
serve moisture and (2) to kill the weeds while they are small. 

4. The best time to cultivate is early in the morning so 
that the weeds thrown up in the process will be killed by the 
noonday sun and before a night's dew can revive them. 

5. But never cultivate or handle any kind of beans when 
the vines are wet. This is the easiest way to spread a serious 
disease and ruin the crop. 

6. Provide brush or wire for peas and poles for running 
beans before they really need them. A vine once tangled 
and on the ground is never as good as one always supported. 

7. The most common disease of most vegetables is some 
form of mildew. To control it spray with bordeaux mixture 
or sprinkle with sulphur. 

8. The commonest vegetable insect pests are plant lice 
and various kinds of chewing insects such as caterpillars and 
potato beetles. For the former use kerosene emulsion or a 
tobacco spray called "Black Leaf 40." For the latter, use 
arsenate of lead except on plants that are soon to be har- 
vested in which case hellebore is safer. 

9. To blanch (whiten) celery, pack soil up around it, 
or surround each plant with a cover made for the purpose. 
Cauliflower, endive, etc., are blanched by tying the outer 
leaves up around the head. But don't do anything of this 
kind unless the plants are dry, or they will quickly rot. 

10. Little or nothing is gained by "pinching back" the 
stems of melon and cucumber vines, picking oflF the lower 
leaves of brussels sprouts, etc. But if the foliage of tomato 
plants becomes too dense, judicious thinning will make the 
fruit color up better and may save it from rotting. 



THE HOME GARDEN 47 

II. A little attention every day is far better than several 
hours once a week. Unless you are ready to really care for 
it, don't start a garden at all, for a neglected garden is a 
disappointment and a discredit to its maker. 

Harvesting Hints, i. All vegetables are best when they 
are young and tender. Therefore plant a little often, and 
use each crop as soon as it is ready. 

2. In harvesting beets don't throw away the tops but 
boil them for "greens" with any beets that are too small to 
use by themselves. 

3. In harvesting cabbage, cut the head instead of pulling 
It up by the roots. A number of small, tender, delicious 
heads will develop on the stump and provide a second crop 
in a few days. If cabbages mature too quickly grasp the 
heads and give them a brisk twist so as to break some of the 
roots and check their growth. 

4. As fast as a crop matures clean up the row and throw 
the vines, litter, etc., on the compost pile. 

5. Leave parsnips and salsify in the ground until after one 
good freeze. Carrots, beets, and turnips must not be frozen. 

6. All root crops and cabbage can be kept for winter 
use in a damp, cool cellar or better still in a pit outdoors. 
Potatoes, like apples, keep best in a dark, not too dry, cellar 
kept barely above freezing; onions want a dry, cool shed or 
attic; and winter squash needs dry warmth. 

7. Don't let any crop go to waste. If it cannot be 
conveniently kept as above, can it in tin or glass in accordance 
with the simple modern methods to be learned from a number 
of free bulletins of State and Federal Agricultural Depart- 
ments. The products of a garden, like its opportunities and 
joys, should last all the year round. 



48 THE HOME GARDEN 



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A PAKRO PLAN FOR A 20 x 40 FOOT VEGETABLE GARDEN 

Including all the vegetables described on the ten pages following, and direc- 
tions as to their planting arrangement, etc. Modify this to meet your own needs 
and tastes but stick, to the same general spacing and seasonal combinations. 



PUBLISHER S ANNOUNCEMENT 

ALL YEAR HELP FOR HOME GARDEN MAKERS 

/GARDENING is not only a complex science, but also a science full 
^^ of local, personal problems and difficulties. It cannot, as Mr. 
Seymour has said, be learned in a single season or from a single book. 
Therefore, although he has in the foregoing pages outlined the most im- 
portant details of garden making and garden care, and told you why you 
should and how you can have a garden, we have made arrangements 
with him to supplement this volume with further advice all through the 
year. In other words, he is going to help readers of this book in solving 
their particular individual garden problems, by means of personal 
answers to their questions. 

If there is anything you want to know about gardening, crops, cultiva- 
tion, insects, diseases, lawns, fruits, vegetables, etc., state your problem 
as briefly as possible, enclose a two cent stamp for reply and mail to 

The Pakro Seedtape Service, 
71 West 23 rd Street, 
New York City. 

It will then be forwarded to Mr. Seymour who will give you the in- 
formation desired or tell you where you can conveniently find it. This 
is a free service, designed to help beginners over the obstacles that might 
prevent them from knowing the real joys and rewards of gardening. 



PAKRO SEEDTAPE VEGETABLES 



Beet 
Crimson Globe 

A wonderfully smooth- 
skinned, perfectly shaped 
beet of medium size with 
deep crimson, fine grained 
flesh. The leaves grow com- 
pactly and are therefore eas- 
ily removed. A very popular, 
second early variety that re- 
mains tender for a long time. 





Beet 

Early Egyptian 

One of the very best extra 
early varieties. Although 
large it attains its size very 
quickly. The flesh is rather 
light in color but attractive 
and tender. Pakro beet seed 
is selected with the utmost 
care and brings real results. 



Celery 


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White Plunie 


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The most attractive of all 
celerys, unsurpassed for fall 


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and winter use. It grows so 
easily from Pakro Seedtape, 




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requires so little earthing up 
to blanch the stalks, and is of 
such excellent flavor and 










crisp tenderness, that it 
should be included in every 
garden. 











PAKRO SEEDTAPE VEGETABLES 



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Cabbage 

All Seasons 

An unusually large drum 
head variety of excellent 
quality;equallygood forearly 
spring, summer or fall use. 
Without doubt the best all- 
round cabbage grown. Grow 
it once from Seedtape and 
you will never leave it out 
of your garden plan. 



Cabbage 

Early Jersey Wakefield 

The very best first early 
cabbage grown. Conical 

(pointed) in shape, attractive 
in appearance, delicate in 
flavor and the most palatable 
cabbage of all. The crop 
grown from the Pakro strain 
of seed may be depended 
upon for earliness, size and 
quality. 





Cabbage 

Premium Flat Dutch 

The finest strain of the 
Flat Dutch sort, producing 
remarkably large heads of 
fine quality. Being hardy, 
sure heading, easy to grow 
and excellent to the taste, 
it is a most satisfactory late 
variety for every garden. 



PAKRO SEEDTAPE VEGETABLES 



Carrot 

Danvers 



A smooth, rich orange-red, 
large growing variety with 
tops of medium size, roots 
that taper slightly to a blunt 
point, and flesh of fine close 
texture with but little core. 
Does well in all kinds of soil, 
is easier to harvest than the 
longer sorts, and is excellent 
for winter storing. 





Carrot 

Oxheart or Guerande 

Asplendid carrot for shallow 
soils on account of its short, 
stocky form; one of the best 
for spring and early summer 
use. Of excellent quality and 
especially suited to home 
gardens, since although it may 
be used while very small for 
soups, etc., it remains tender 
for a long time after maturing. 



Endive 

Green Curled 


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The standard variety for 
general use. Easily blanched 
by tying up the outside 
leaves or covering the plants 
with boards. We offer this 




variety only, because it is the 


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best, the most easily grown 
and blanched, and of pleasant 
stimulating flavor. 





PAKRO SEEDTAPE VEGETABLES 




Leek 

Large Flag 

The best variety for general 
use, being mild and very 
popular. Young plants make 
excellent "scallions." Pakro 
Seedtape eliminates the usual 
difficulty of growing such 
vegetables as the leek, which 
must not be crowded. 




Kohlrabi 

Early White Vienna 

1 his variety having a short 
top and forming the ball or 
tuber very quickly is well 
adapted to both home and 
market garden use. It may 
be pared and eaten raw; or 
sliced, boiled and served with 
a cream sauce. 




Parsley 

Double Curled 

The most popular of sev- 
eral varieties offered by seeds- 
men because of its much 
curled foliage, dwarf habit 
and tenderness. Parsley be- 
ing the standard plant for 
garnishing and flavoring pur- 
poses, no gardener can afford 
to be without a row or two of 
it. 



PAKRO SEEDTAPE VEGETABLES 



Lettuce 
Big Boston 

Without doubt the most 
popular lettuce grown. Pa- 
kro Seedtape gives the utmost 
satisfaction, producing large, 
solid, creamy white heads, 
delightfully crisp and tender. 
This variety should be grown 
in early spring or late fall as 
it does not do well during hot, 
summer weather. 





Lettuce 

Trianon Cos 

The best variety of the 
distinct Cos or Romaine type 
which is much liked because 
of its crisp, tender quality 
and delicate flavor. It is 
easy to grow and may be 
blanched by tying up the 
outer leaves with raffia or 
soft string several days before 
the plant is wanted for the 
table. 



Lettuce 

Black Seeded Simpson 

One of the very best curled 
or cutting varieties, standing 
the summer heat well and 
being practically everbearing. 
This and similar sorts do not 
head but produce bunches of 
loose, highly palatable leaves. 
In Pakro Seedtape you will 
find a carefully selected strain. 




PAKRO SEEDTAPE VEGETABLES 




Onion 

White Portugal 

1 he leading white sort, of 
fine shape and mild flavor. 
It matures early, is excellent 
for pickling and, without 
doubt, is the best onion for 
general use. The seed is of 
the characteristic Pakro qual- 
ity. 



Onion 

Yellozv Globe Danvers 

The best main crop variety 
and probably one of the old- 
est. Known as the "onion 
that never changes." An 
unusually good keeper of 
fine shape and uniformity 
and a general favorite every- 
where. Like the other Pakro 
varieties this seed is from a 
carefully selected strain. 





Parsnip 

Hollow Crozvn 

Especially selected as the 
best and most highly esteemed 
variety for the private gar- 
den. The long, smooth, 
tender, sugary, white roots 
are easily grown and easily 
dug. They should be planted 
early and given thorough 
cultivation all summer. 



PAKRO SEEDTAPE VEGETABLES 



Pepper 

Bell or Bull Nose 

An early variety producing 
large, bright red, thick fleshed 
mildly flavored fruits. These 
are excellent while green for 
stuffing, and when ripe are 
unequalled for pickling and 
mild enough to be eaten raw. 
Surely this is the one pepper 
for all purposes. 





Spinach 

Long Standing 

A variety making large 
plants with thick, fleshy, 
dark green leaves that re- 
main fit for use for a long 
time before seed stalks ap- 
pear. Primarily a vegetable 
for early spring and late 
summer culture. 



Swiss Chard 

One of the most delicious 
and convenient of "greens." 
Grows all summer giving fre- 
quent cuttings of succulent 
leaves. These may be boiled 
like spinach, or the leaf 
stalks may be prepared like 
asparagus, providing an ex- 
cellent substitute. Any one 
can grow it from Pakro 
Seedtape — and everyone 
should. 




PAKRO SEEDTAPE VEGETABLES 




Radish 

French Breakfast 

Pakro Seedtape radishes 
have given such satisfaction 
that we found it necessary to 
increase our offering of vari- 
eties, and selected this sort 
as the most popular of the 
oval sorts. It is bright scar- 
let with a white tip, mild, 
very tender and a general 
family favorite. 



Radish 

Icicle 

A long, almost transparent 
white variety, crisp and brit- 
tle. It remains in fine con- 
dition for a long time and 
may be grown throughout 
the summer, thus enabling 
one to have fresh radishes all 
season. 



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Radish 

Long Scarlet 

The most popular long, red 
radish grown. The flesh is 
pure white, very crisp and 
exceedingly mild. Can be 
used equally well when very 
young and when fully mature. 
No first class garden is with- 
out a generous share of 
radishes. 



PAKRO SEEDTAPE VEGETABLES 



Radish 

Scarlet Turnip White Tip 

Positively the most popu- 
lar radish of all. Round, of 
medium size, in color a bril- 
liant scarlet tipped with 
white, the flesh solid, pure 
white, crisp and mild — on 
the whole this variety is most 
attractive in appearance and 
unsurpassed for table use. 





Turnip 

Purple Top Strap Leaf 

The most popular quick 
growing variety. The flesh 
is pure white, fine grained, 
mild and crisp. The roots 
are quite flat, of convenient 
size, purplish red on top 
shading to white on the 
lower side. Excellent results 
are reported by all growers 
of Pakro turnips. 



Turnip 

Purple Top White Globe 

An early, heavy yielding 
variety and a good keeper. 
The roots are large, globe 
shaped, white, shading to a 
reddish purple top, with fine 
grained, crisp white flesh. 
An excellent sort to grow for 
winter use. Like that of all 
Pakro vegetables, the seed is 
of the very highest quality. 









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PAKRO SEEDTAPE VEGETABLES 




Tomato 

Beauty 

A well named variety, the 
fruit being of a glossy, crim- 
son color with slight purplish 
tmge, of good size, of solid, 
meaty texture, and smooth. 
The plant is a strong grower 
and a very prolific bearer. 
\\ ho could ask for more? 



Tomato 

Ponder OS a 

A tall, strongly growing 
variety producing fruits that 
often weigh two pounds or 
more apiece. These are pur- 
plish pink in color and, being 
unusually solid and contain- 
ing very few seeds, are ex- 
cellent for slicing. They con- 
tinue to ripen practically 
until frost. 





Tomato 

Stone 

Though not as large as 
the Ponderosa, the fruit 
of this variety is of good 
size and a bright scarlet 
color. They ripen evenly all 
the way to the stem without 
cracking, and contain firm, 
solid flesh of the finest qual- 
ity. Good for both table use 
and canning. 



PAKRO SEEDTAPE FLOWERS 



Alyssum, Sweet 

The ever popular Sweet 
Alyssum, known by almost 
everyone needs little descrip- 
tion. For beds, borders, bas- 
kets, etc., the dwarf plants 
with their all summer profu- 
sion of delicate, sweet scented 
white flowers are unexcelled. 





Aster 

Giant Mixed 

One of the largest varieties 
of Aster grown. The flowers 
are as large and as eff^ective 
as any hardy chrysanthe- 
mum, keeping, when cut, in 
good condition for a long 
time. The seed of this and 
the following variety was se- 
lected with special care for 
Pakro Seedtape. 



Aster 

Queen of the Market, Mixed 

An extremely early variety 
especially satisfactory as a 
source of cut flowers, the 
blooms being of medium 
size, double and long 
stemmed. The strongest 
plants come when each is 
given plenty of room; this is 
one reason for the success of 
Pakro Asters. 




PAKRO SEEDTAPE FLOWERS 




Candytuft 

Mixed 

A dwarf flowering annual 
forming plants about a foot 
high. A very free bloomer 
usually considered indispen- 
sable for cutting purposes. 
For continuous bloom make 
successive plantings of Pakro 
Seedtape. 



Balsam 

Double Mixed 

One of the most popular 
of the old-fashioned garden 
flowers, better known, per- 
haps, as Lady Slipper. Grows 
about two feet tall producing 
masses of brilliantly colored, 
very double flowers. Easily 
grown and a very satisfactory 
showy annual. 





Corn Flower or Bachelor's 
Button 

Another favorite from the 
old-fashioned garden. 
Blooms profusely and contin- 
uously provided the flowers 
are gathered frequently. In 
combination with Pakro Cali- 
fornia Poppies, it makes a 
very beautiful and brilliant 
display both in the garden 
and in the house. 



PAKRO SEEDTAPE FLOWERS 



Forget-me-not 

A perennial that blooms 
the first year if planted early. 
Especially effective if grown 
as a border. Provides a touch 
of bright and pleasing color 
in the spring when it is most 
welcome. 





Hollyhock 

Chartiers Double Mixed 

One of our forefathers' 
favorites that is still highly 
valued for planting among 
shrubbery, agamst walls and 
fences, and as a background 
for other smaller flowers. 
The strain selected for Pakro 
Seedtape is of the best, pro- 
ducing large, brilliant, very 
double flowers in great pro- 
fusion. 



Mignonette 

Grandiflora 

No garden is really com- 
plete without a bed of this 
popular, fragrant, free bloom- 
mg annual. Successive plant- 
ings give a continuous supply 
of bloom from early spring 
until frost. 




PAKRO SEEDTAPE FLOWERS 




Morning Glory 

Selected hnperial Mixed 

This is the imported giant 
Japanese variety that makes 
as much as thirty feet of 
growth in a season. The 
brilHant flowers are well 
known, but in this variety 
the foliage too is wonderfully 
eff'ective before the blossoms 
appear. Use it for covering 
trellises, fences and walls, 
screening porches, etc. 



Pansies 

Good Mixed 

In Pakro Seedtape we do 
not offer the ordinary mixed 
Pansies, but the very best 
strain that can be secured, 
one that produces large vari- 
colored flowers beautifully 
marked and mottled, in great 
profusion. 





Phlox Drummondii 

Grandiflora, Mixed 

There is nothing better 
than Phlox for bedding, 
although it is extensively 
used also for borders, boxes, 
and in many other positions. 
It is one of the most brilliant 
annuals grown, bearing a 
mass of beautifully colored 
flowers that remain in bloom 
until frost. It will grow in 
almost any soil if given a 
sunny position. 



PAKRO SEEDTAPE FLOWERS 



Pinks 

Double, Mixed 

One of the most popular 
flowers in cultivation produc- 
ing many blossoms of varied, 
brilliant colors a short time 
after planting and continu- 
ously up to cold weather. 
The double varieties we offer 
resemble small carnations and 
are fine for cuttmg. 





Poppy 

California 

A beautiful and very popu- 
lar annual of very easy cul- 
ture if Pakro Seedtape is 
used. The brilliant yellow 
flowers bloom from June until 
frost and are excellent for 
cutting. Try them in com- 
bination with Bachelor's 
Buttons. 



Poppy 

Shirley, Mixed 

One of the most attractive 
varieties grown, producing 
wonderful flowers, ranging 
fromthe purestwhite through 
pink, rose and carmine, to 
the deepest crimson. This 
sort blooms continuously for 
a long time. 




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PAKRO SEEDTAPE FLOWERS 




Salvia Splendens 

Grandiflora 

The Scarlet Sage, as this 
plant is also known, has long 
been a favorite, especially 
for use with masses of foliage 
plants and against building 
foundations. During the 
summer and fall it produces 
striking scarlet flowers in 
great profusion on long stems 
or spikes. 



Stocks 

Ten Weeks, Mixed 

The earliest flowering var- 
iety, therefore the favorite 
for bedding. It produces fra- 
grant flowers of great beauty 
on tall spikes much like the 
Hollyhock. Plants grown 
from Pakro Seedtape are sure 
to give satisfaction. 




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Sweet Peas 

California Giant, Mixed 

Universally the most popu- 
lar — and deservedly so — 
flower of all. This strain in- 
sures quick growth, free 
flowering, brilliant coloring, 
long, sturdy stems and a 
general eff"ect that cannot be 
surpassed. Plant early, feed 
and water generously and let 
Pakro Seedtape prove what 
it can do. 



